“Not in terms of diameter or circumference, but in terms of a thick Nappa leather grip. A heated steering wheel is now a must for most customers.”For an invention that a couple of decades ago seemed essentially straightforward, the modern steering wheel is really quite complicated. By 1894, the French engineer Alfred Vacheron had devised a more “futuristic” method of control: His Panhard, entered in the Paris-Rouen road race that year, was equipped with a steering wheel. By the turn of the 20th century, the Vacheron invention had become ubiquitous in the motoring universe. Later on, the steering column was afforded a tilt, easing entry and exit, and a turn-signal lever was added to the horn ring.

Source: New York Times August 20, 2020 09:56 UTC